


A Candlenights Conundrum

by CCs_World



Series: Neverwinter, Washington [4]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe- Human, Alternate Universe- Modern Setting - Freeform, Alternate Universe- No Powers, Angst, Autistic Angus, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Found Family, I promise nobody is dead at the end of this fic, IT'S GAY, M/M, Major Character Death is just for safety, Murder Mystery, canon typical language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-02-06 05:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12810501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CCs_World/pseuds/CCs_World
Summary: MARRIED SCIENTISTS FOUND DEAD! MURDERER AT LARGE!When Taako Tivi-Highchurch reads a headline about the death of his long-lost twin sister, he is thrown into a murder mystery far more complex than he ever would have dreamed. But he doesn't do it alone--with him he has his dads, his child prodigy son, and this really hot librarian he met this one time.Who killed Lup and Barry Bluejeans? Are they even really dead? Will Kravitz get to visit his mother on Candlenights day?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oops I started another fic  
> Thanks to the TAZ fic writers discord for encouraging me so much, special thanks to Kipp for inspiring me to have Kravitz playing Chopin in this chapter  
> Also Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!

[ _ December 12, 2017. Neverwinter, Washington. _ ]

“Good morning, Lucy!” Kravitz called, walking into the library.

“Kravitz, please do not call me ‘Lucy’,” the woman in question replied, approaching him from the front desk. She was smiling, her white teeth and platinum hair providing a beautiful and shocking contrast against her smooth, dark skin. “How are you?”

“I’m doing alright.” Kravitz shook some snowflakes out of his long locs. “It’s supposed to snow more today; not looking forward to driving home in that weather.”

“I know.” She smiled wryly. “At least the library won’t be too busy today. Who’s going to want to travel here in this weather?”

“Crazy people.” Kravitz shook his head and hung up his black wool coat. “Did we get our new shipment last night?”

“Yes; right on time, too. I’ll have plenty of time to shelve them all today.”

Kravitz walked into the back room. “Do you want some tea, Lucretia?” he called as he set up the Keurig.

“No, thank you, I had some coffee from the Star-Blaster this morning. Dav’s first brew of the day is always the best.”

Kravitz smiled. “What possessed him to name a coffee shop the Star-Blaster?”

“I don’t know; I don’t think it was his idea.” He could  _ hear _ her rolling her eyes. “A bet or something.”

Kravitz grinned. The Keurig spat out his tea (Earl Grey) and he grabbed the mug, doctoring it up the way he liked it (black, one sugar) and heading out to the front desk, snagging a book from the shelf along the way.

The library was quiet for a while, the only sounds coming from Lucretia’s shelving endeavors and the turning pages of Kravitz’s book.

Eventually, peering out the tall window of the library, Kravitz commented, “Snow’s really coming down out there.”

“I see,” Lucretia said, approaching the front of the building in order to see better. She craned her neck to see what Kravitz was reading. “ _ Murder on the Orient Express _ ?” she asked. “Interesting. I didn’t think that was your style.”

“Well,” Kravitz stammered, embarrassed to have been found out and searching desperately for an excuse, “the movie’s coming out soon, and--”

“Nothing like a good murder mystery,” Lucretia smiled, her eyes crinkling knowingly.

Kravitz sighed, took another sip of his tea and turned back to his novel. “Yeah,” he said. “Nothing like.”

* * *

The door opened.

This was decidedly unusual because nobody had walked in all day. It was snowing too hard for that.

The figure who walked in was tiny, snow covered, and bespectacled. After shaking off the snow, it was revealed to be a little boy, who trotted up to his desk and said in a clear voice, “Excuse me, sir, could you direct me to the mystery section of the library?”

Kravitz smiled. “Of course. We just got the latest installment of the  _ Caleb Cleveland _ series in. I would highly recommend it if you haven’t read it.”

“Oh, I’ve read the series, sir, but not the latest one.”

“Well, then, let me find it for you.” Kravitz flashes the child another friendly smile before getting up and leading the boy to the children’s section. “Here it is,” he said, pulling the book from the shelf and handing it to the kid. “Do you want to check it out now?”

“No, my dad has my library card. He’ll come pick me up in an hour.”

“Alright. There are some chairs down here where you can read until he gets here.”

“Thank you, sir!” The boy beamed at him and flopped down happily in a cushioned chair to read.

Kravitz grinned and went back to his desk. Kids who had a passion for reading were hard to come by these days, so whenever he found one he made sure to treat them with as much respect as possible. Picking up his novel, he continued his own read.

An hour passed. The library was quiet. The greyish light from the snow-shedding clouds dimmed the atmosphere to something sleepy and soft.

And then the door burst open and in walked someone tall, skinny, and coated in snow. “Fuck!” they exclaimed. “It’s coming down like fuckin’ hell out there!”

“Shh,” Kravitz said calmly.

The person stopped. “Hachi machi,” they said, brushing snow off of their person. “Look at you, handsome.”

Kravitz flushed. As they shook off the snow, he saw that this person was masculine, but only just. He had long bleached-blonde hair and golden-brown skin dappled with freckles, his eyes were leaf-green, hooded by blue-dusted lids and framed by long, dark lashes, his clothing was eccentric and bold, and, as he grinned a red-lipped grin at Kravitz, he noticed a gap between his front teeth. “Can I help you?” Kravitz said.

“Fuckin’ yeah,” the person said. “I'm here to get my boy.”

“Small? Well-spoken? Big glasses?” Kravitz asked, peering over his own frames to look at the person who had just broken the peaceful atmosphere of his library.

“Yep, yep, and yep,” they replied.

“You must be his father, then. To the right, down the stairs. You’ll find him in one of the chairs. He’s been reading the latest installment of the  _ Caleb Cleveland _ series.”

“Thanks, m’dude.” And he disappeared down the stairs.

Lucretia popped out from a back room. “Who was that?” she asked.

“He’s the boy’s dad.” Kravitz rolled his eyes. “I hope that child hasn’t picked up any of his language.”

Lucretia laughed. “With the way that guy swears? That kid must have a dictionary of creative curse words.”

The man reappeared then, followed by the little boy, who clutched his book happily. “Put it up on the desk, Ango,” he said, patting the surface expectantly.

Being rather small, the boy had to stand on his toes to slide the book onto the desk so Kravitz could check it out.

“I’m going to need your library card, too,” he said.

“Oh, right, shit.” The tall man patted his pockets and eventually pulled out the piece of plastic, sliding it across the desk to Kravitz. “There you are, pretty boy.”

Kravitz spluttered a little before regaining control and saying, “Th-Thanks.” He scanned the card, then the book, printed out a small receipt, stuck the paper inside the front cover, and handed it to the boy. “There you are,” he said with a smile. “It’s due in two weeks.”

“That’s right before Candlenights!” the little boy said to his father.

“Yes, yes, motek.” The term, though unfamiliar to Kravitz, sounded more tender than he would expect from this man. He looked back at Kravitz and said, “Anyway, we’ve gotta scoot, so thanks,” his eyes flicked down to the name tag on his desk, “Krrrrrrrrravitz,” he finished, adding a wink at the end that made Kravitz blush all over again. “Ta!” He waved and, pulling the little boy with him, left the library.

Lucretia popped her head out from behind a shelf again. “Oh my god,” she said. “Was he--?”

“Yeah.”

“And you--?”

“Shut up.”

Cheeks and neck hot, Kravitz slumped in his seat and half-heartedly sank back into the world of the Orient Express.

* * *

“Dad,” Angus said conversationally as they traipsed through the snowy suburb, “did you  _ like _ that man at the library?”

“Psh,” Taako replied, waving a hand. “As if. I was just doing that to fluster him. He seemed pretty easily flustered. All in good fun, pumpkin.”

Angus raised an eyebrow.

Taako rolled his eyes. “You gotta stop being so perceptive,” he sighed. “Yes, okay? I liked him. I liked him a lot. But, I mean, with a face like that--”

“He’s single.”

“Of course he--what?”

“He’s single. He read the entire hour I was there. If he was taken, he would have pulled out his phone at least once to text his partner.”

Taako smiled. “I take back what I said about being perceptive,” he laughed. “Can you tell me if he’s gay?”

“As anything,” Angus replied, grinning. “Did you see the way he looked at you?”

“Nah,” Taako shook his head. “Was it cute?”

Angus nodded. “Very. It was all--” He mimicked the expression by batting his huge eyes and pasting an awestruck expression to his round face. “Like that.”

Taako laughed. “You’re somethin’ else, bubala. C’mon, we’re almost home. Pick up the pace and I can make you some cocoa before dinner.”

“Yes, please!” Angus cheered, and walked fast enough that Taako had to take longer steps to keep up--thankfully his legs were long enough for the task.

When they burst through the back door of Merle’s house, they gasped in relief at the sudden warmth. “Dad, we’re ba--” Taako stopped, listened for a second. “Shit,” he breathed. “Hecuba called.”

Angus winced. He knew what those phone calls were like.

The shouting carried from the front room of Merle’s half of the house right to the kitchen. Angus looked a little wild around the eyes as he heard snippets of the conversation. Taako tried to keep his little boy safe from the things that scared him, but Merle’s ex-wife brought out the worst in him, and drew out bad memories in Angus.

“Come on, boychik,” Taako said quietly, ruffling Angus’s hair and lifting him up to sit on the countertop. “Let’s get some cocoa in you.”

Angus clapped his little hands, an endearing quirk of his that he exhibited when he was excited. When he first started living with Taako, he wouldn’t display any of his little quirks, or ‘stims’, as the therapists called them. They told Taako that he didn’t feel comfortable stimming because his parents discouraged it. Taako hated Angus’s parents.

Taako put on some milk to heat, and then leaned over and turned on the radio. It was an Adele song, one of her better ones, and Taako turned it up, flashing a grin at Angus. It was harder to hear Merle with the music on.

Humming along with the melody, Taako stuck a bowl full of Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate into the microwave and heated it until it was melted. “It’s Taako’s Special Cocoa tonight,” Taako said, pouring the thick chocolate into the milk. “You down?”

“Hell yeah!” Angus said happily, clapping his hands again.

“Now, now,” Taako said, laughing. “No potty words till you turn sixteen, remember?”

“Sorry.” Angus looked like he was about to cringe back for a moment before relaxing into a comfortable posture.

“It’s fine, pumpkin, I’m not mad.” Taako winked. “I just don’t want people to think I’m a  _ completely _ bad influence on you.”

“You’re not,” Angus insisted. “I tell you this all the time.”

“Yeah, yeah, and I still don’t know why,” Taako said, shrugging as he stirred the cocoa. Grabbing a spoon, he dipped it in the mixture and tasted it. “Mmm. Needs something.”

“Dad, you’re avoiding things again.”

“‘S my talent,” Taako muttered. He added some sugar and a dash of vanilla, stirred it in, and tasted it again. “Mmm,” he sighed. “Good shit.”

Angus giggled. “How was work today?”

“Busy. Magnus is getting too popular. You know how many phone calls I had to answer today?”

“No, how many?”

“Sixty-seven!” Taako exclaimed, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “Sixty-seven phone calls. It’s a wonder my ears didn’t fall off.”

Merle’s shouting reached a crescendo and Taako, wincing, turned up the radio to mask the noise. “Dad, it’s too loud,” Angus complained, and Taako, whispering apologies, turned it back down, even though all it did was bring greater attention to the screaming match at the front of the house. Angus shifted. He shifted again. He covered his ears. Closed his eyes. Hummed a little tune. Kicked his feet.

Angus whimpered a little bit and sniffled, kicking his feet anxiously and wriggling his entire body in discomfort.

“Sorry, pumpkin,” Taako said, hovering around his son worriedly, hot chocolate nearly forgotten. “Sorry, sorry. I wish his shithead of an ex hadn’t called today. Do you need to go outside?”

Angus didn’t reply, and Taako huffed. He took the hot chocolate off of the heat and, striding out of the kitchen, he walked right up to his adoptive father and screeched, “Get off the  _ fuckin’ phone! _ You’re upsetting my boy!”

Merle looked at Taako and seemed to sense his worry so he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, said, “Fuck you and happy Candlenights,” and hung up. Sheepishly, he turned to face Taako. “Sorry about that. Tell your boy I said.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Taako rolled his eyes, but was smiling when he entered the kitchen. “Hey, motek,” he said softly, carefully touching Angus’s curls. “It’s ok, it’s better now.”

Angus sniffled again before turning and throwing his arms around his father. Taako felt a dampness on his shirt and moved his hands down to rub circles on Angus’s little back. “Shh, hey now,” he murmured, “I’ve fixed things. You’re okay now. Do you want to go read your book for a bit?”

He nodded a little.

“Okay. You go do that, and I’ll bring up your hot cocoa when you’re ready, hm?”

“Yeah. Okay.” Angus leaned back and nodded again. He wiped his face with the back of a small hand and slid off the counter, grabbing his book from the island before going shakily up the stairs to his room.

“Oy vey,” Taako sighed, and put the cocoa back on the heat, grabbing his spoon and going back to stirring.

* * *

Kravitz sat at his baby grand, moving with the phrases of Chopin. The graceful music reflected in the swaying of his body, he played with a passion and a love that he rarely displayed. The snow fell thick and heavy outside, coating the whole town in a thick white blanket that would be hell to navigate in the morning but for now, in the purple-grey evening light, was peaceful and perfect.

Gone from his mind were the troubles of the day. Gone was the stress of work, of maintaining some semblance of a social life (which mostly just consisted of Lucretia and Davenport, the little salt-and-pepper-haired man with a mustache he was incredibly fond of who owned the coffee shop right beside the library), of that beautiful man and his golden child from the library. Gone was the guilt of not having called his mother in almost two weeks. All there was here, in this place, was Kravitz, his window, and the sweet nocturnes of the greatest composer.

His passion swelled with the dynamics of the music. His posture straightened, hunched, straightened again. Left, right, left again he swayed. His hands moved with grace and ease across the polished ivory keys. He let the piano sing for him, its voice the sweetest thing.

Everything in this moment was perfect.

Once, a couple of years ago, Kravitz had played for a bar here in town. It was called “The Hangar”. A seedy little place, it didn’t have the right atmosphere for any of the classics, so he tried something ragtime. And it was the worst performance he’d ever put on. His passion wasn’t there, wasn’t in it. He couldn’t keep the energy up, and he ended the piece disappointed and embarrassed.

He hadn’t played in public since, and everyone had quickly forgotten that the reclusive librarian even knew how to read music.

Now, however, Chopin sang forth from his fingers, from the hammers on the strings, from every pore in his body. It rolled forth with grace and ease, not mechanical like something practiced, but with a fluidity that only came with years of constant playing and memorization.

His fingers danced to the end and, just as he played the last chord, his phone rang.

Startled, his hands slammed down into a dissonant cluster and he swore quietly--there went the mood. “Hello?” he said irritably as he answered.

“Hello, my dear and darling son.”

“M-mother. How are you?”

“I’d be better if you called once in a blue moon.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been busy as of late.” Not a complete lie, but he could have called his mother instead of playing the piano, or finishing the  _ Orient Express _ .

“I understand. I hope you know that I only insist you call because I  _ miss _ you. You’re three states away from me!”

“Washington is very nice,” Kravitz said, glancing out the window. “Especially here in Neverwinter.”

“Does it live up to the name?”

“We’re expecting six to twelve inches of snow tonight. We got four yesterday.”

The woman laughed, and Kravitz smiled at the warm, familiar sound. How did he always forget how much he missed her laugh?

“Will you be coming home for Candlenights this year, darling?” she asked.

He thought about it. “Yes,” he finally answered. “I think I will.”

* * *

The next morning, Taako was awakened by his phone ringing. “Hello?” he answered groggily.

“Hello, this is the Neverwinter School District Superintendent calling to inform you…” The automated message ran through its spiel while Taako half-listened.

“Snow day for Ango,” he mumbled, and then rolled himself back up in his blankets, falling back to sleep.

He was awakened about an hour later by something jumping on him. “Fuck! Shit! Fuck!” he screeched, rolling over as the thing bounced on him.

“It’s a snow day, Dad! It’s a snow day!”

Taako sighed. “Yes, I know, pumpkin, you had one yesterday, too. You don’t think they’re gonna send you to school when the roads are buried, do you?”

Angus grinned. “I know, I’m just excited!”

Yawning, Taako sat up. “Okay, kiddo,” he said sleepily. “I’m gonna go make some pancakes and you’re gonna get Netflix set up. It’s gonna be a  _ Cosmos _ morning, how’s that sound?”

“Yes, yes!” Angus cheered, clapping his hands. “I love Mr. Tyson!”

“Alright, pumpkin. Shoo, I’m gonna go wake up the dads.”

“Awww, I wanna do it!”

“And face the wrath of the Davenport? No way, my boy is not dying on a snow day.”

“Come on, I’ve done it before! I’ll be fine!”

“He nearly launched you clear across the room last time. Not on my watch.”

“Can I at least watch you do it? It’s always funny when you do it.”

Taako shook his head fondly at Angus. “Alright, fine. But only because you used the Bambi eyes on me and I’m feeling nice this morning.”

Taako slid out of bed and threw on a huge hoodie, twisting his hair into a messy bun that he’d brush out and redo at a later time. “Okay, let’s go. Mission: Impossible style,” he said in a dramatically hushed voice.

Together, they crept to the room that Merle and Davenport shared, and Taako threw a huge wink at Angus before slamming the door open with a  _ crash _ and shouting, “Wake the  _ fuck _ up, gents! Taako’s making pancakes!”

One of the men sat bolt upright in bed, his mustache frazzled and his greying hair sticking up on one side. “Taako what the  _ hell? _ ” he yelped. He clutched the blankets tightly around his middle.

Beside him a grey-haired lump stirred and became a cranky old man with a prosthetic arm and an empty eye socket (“Mementos from the war,” he always said, but nobody really knew which war or what happened) who sat up much more slowly. He didn’t pull up the sheets.

Taako put a hand over Angus’s eyes. “Gross!” he shrieked. “You guys weren’t  _ doing the do _ last night? Oh my god, I feel dirty! Oh my god. Oh my  _ god. _ ”

“Taako, we’re  _ married, _ ” Davenport sighed. “We’ve been over this.”

“I  _ know, _ but I don’t wanna  _ think about it, _ ” Taako whined. “You’re my  _ dads. _ ”

Merle blinked sleepily and leaned heavily against Davenport. “How’re you speakin’ so… so…?” he mumbled.

“Coherently? It’s because I’m a morning person. Merle, we have been married for five years. You know this.”

“Fuck you.”

Davenport laughed and Taako sighed, eyes glued to the ceiling.

“Please, guys, for the love of  _ god, _ put some pants on. Pancakes’ll be ready in thirty.” Hand still firmly over Angus’s eyes, Taako backed out of the room and shut the door.

“Oh my god,” he said again.

“Dad?” Angus said.

“Mmh?”

“You’re using the ‘I’ve just been scarred’ voice again.”

“The things I’ve seen…”

* * *

[ _ October 1, 2015. Neverwinter, Washington. _ ]

Taako stood on the plant-covered front porch of his father’s house, bouncing anxiously from one foot to the other. He wondered vaguely if this was how Merle felt nine years ago.

The blue car drove up to the curb and stopped, and Taako’s heart lurched with anxiety. Out stepped a little boy--his favorite little boy.

He’d visited this boy several times, and they hung out and Taako chatted with him about space and science. The kid was really smart for eight years old and could understand what Taako said to him.

He was a little skittish, of course--Taako learned quickly that sudden shouting or loud noises spooked the boy into tears--but for the most part he was just an abnormally smart little kid.

“Heyyy, Ango,” Taako said, grinning at the boy as he walked towards the porch steps. A woman trailed a little behind the child, smiling encouragingly at the pair. “How are you today, champ?”

“I’m good, sir.” Angus beamed at Taako. “I’m very--I’m really excited, Taako, sir.”

“That’s good. That’s great. I’m excited too, you know?” Taako grinned. “Do you want to see your room? I spent  _ forever _ setting it up.”

“Ah--Mr Highchurch,” the woman interrupted. “Can we speak for a moment?”

“Absolutely,” Taako said. Turning to Angus he added, “Just wait on the porch here for a sec, okay, pumpkin?” before descending to talk to the agent.

“You have all the paperwork now,” she said, handing him a file folder. “It’s official. Don’t forget--”

“Therapist visits every Thursday. Make sure he eats well and gets plenty of sleep. Call you if I need anything. I got this. Natch.” Taako finger-gunned at her. “No problemo.”

She laughed gently. “Thank you so much, Mr Highchurch,” she said. “I don’t think you understand how much this means to me, and to little Angus here.”

“Oh, I get it perfectly,” Taako smiled. “Used to be where he was, but I think he had it a little better than me in the system before I met him. Anyway--Mr Highchurch is my dad. Call me Taako!”

She laughed again. “Okay, Taako. Call me if you need something. And congratulations again.”

“Thanks, Pamela,” Taako said good-naturedly. “Ta, now.”

“Good-bye!” She slid into her little blue car and drove away, waving to Angus and Taako, who waved back.

“So, uh, how about I show you your room and then we drink some hot cocoa and watch some Netflix?” Taako said.

“That sounds--that sounds great, sir.”

“It’s ‘Dad’, Ango. Please.”

“Okay, then. It sounds great… Dad.”

* * *

[ _ December 13th, 2017. Neverwinter, Washington. _ ]

Taako sighed. He closed the tab for his online classes.

Taking culinary classes online was hard work, but it wasn’t like he had the time during the day. He had a boy to raise.

Opening a new tab, he searched his last name in the Google search bar and began scrolling through the results.

He knew he wasn’t going to find anything. He didn’t remember the last name of the family who had adopted her, and it’s not like she had decided at nine years old what her name would be for the rest of her life. She had been hovering between four or five names when they were separated.

Of course, Taako would have supported whichever name she chose, but it’s not like he could have helped her out. She left him alone in the system and now she was God knows where.

Sighing, he closed the tab. Another fruitless search.

He decided to check the news before going to bed. He typed in the url for his favorite news site and hit enter, hoping to get a few chuckles out of a politically-skewed article. Instead, when he saw the top article, Taako  _ screamed. _

Angus found him curled on the floor, sobbing, in front of his laptop, where a headline was displayed on the screen:

**_MARRIED SCIENTISTS FOUND DEAD! MURDERER AT LARGE!_ **

On the screen was an image of a smiling couple. The woman looked just like Taako.


	2. A Lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako is consoled. Kravitz does some research. A lead is discovered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is 1) super late, 2) unedited, and 3) shorter than expected but whatever I'm gonna post it anyway.
> 
> Thanks as always to the TAZ Writer Discord.

[ _ December 10th, 2017. Goldcliffe, Oklahoma _ ]

“Mornin’ Bar.”

Barry Hallwinter rolled over in bed to look at his wife, who blinked sleepily at him. “Hey,” he smiled. “You ready?”

“Mmm,” she said. “Sure.”

“You’ll do fine, sweetheart,” he assured her, sitting up a little and smoothing her bedhead away from her face. “I promise.”

“Yeah, I know,” she grinned, the gap in her teeth sitting proud in her beautiful smile. She sat up. “Listen, I’m gonna go fuckin’ shower and then I’ll make us some French toast before the big day, how’s that sound?”

“Sounds fantastic,” he told her, and leaned down to kiss her sweetly. She kissed him back before sitting up, throwing off the covers, and-- _ oh-- _ Barry was always knocked breathless by his wife’s body.

She looked back at him and winked slowly. “Like what you see?”

He nodded a little, his mouth dry.

“Well it’s a good thing we have a big shower. Come on.” And with a little sway in her hips, she made her way to the master bath and turned on the shower, Barry following close behind like a starving man being shown to a feast.

After a  _ particularly _ steamy shower, the couple stumbled down the stairs to make some breakfast, moving in sync after having lived together for almost two years, and then they threw on blazers and grabbed laptop bags and packed lunches and rushed out the big white door of their big blue house, Lup hissing about how long they slept and how late they were going to be.

“It’s okay,” Barry kept telling her as he started up their nice new sports car, “we’ll be fine. They’ll understand. They like us there. I promise we’ll be okay.”

“Yeah, I know,” Lup said, “everyone there likes us but… don’t you think that it’s a little sketchy  _ how much _ they like us?”

“Nah,” Barry said, turning a corner. “You’re just overthinking again.”

She huffed.

“Hey,” he said softly, glancing at her with a gentle smile, “deep breaths, okay? Everything is going to go  _ so great. _ ”

“Yeah,” she said. “Okay.”

The funny thing was, she believed him.

* * *

 

[ _ December 14th, 2017. Neverwinter, Washington. _ ]

At precisely 7:03 in the morning, Kravitz’s mother sent him a text.

Yawning, he picked up his cell phone and checked out the message.

**Mother:** Kravitz! I found an interesting news article last night. I know you and I share similar tastes so I thought you would find this little murder mystery to be fascinating.

**Mother:** [sent a link]

Kravitz, curious, tapped the hyperlink and was redirected to a well-known news site. The headline blared its news up at him, something about a couple of famous scientists and a murder. But the actual story wasn’t what initially caught his eye; it was the photograph.

The woman in the image looked like the beautiful man from the library.

* * *

 

All night and into the next day, Taako was inconsolable. Every time Merle thought he was going to stop crying, he started again. Most of the words he said were gibberish, but occasionally he caught fragments. Things like “could’ve found her” and “only family” were frequently babbled through wet sobs.

Davenport and Merle were worried. They tried everything they could for their son but when they'd brought out the alcohol and he was still unresponsive they knew they were completely unqualified to handle this situation.

Leaving Taako alone for a moment, the pair stepped outside his room and held a hushed conversation.

“Did you know he had a sister?” Davenport asked.

“No,” Merle said, shaking his head. “He’s never talked about a sibling.”

“I'm not sure what to do, Merle,” Davenport admitted. “What is someone supposed to do in this sort of situation?”

“We could contact his friends. They're good kids.”

“That's… a great idea, Merle.”

“Thanks,” Merle smiled. “Sometimes I get those.” He tapped the side of his head before re-entering Taako’s room, grabbing the man’s phone, and, one after another, dialing each name he recognized.

Soon enough the house was flooded with young adults, all in pairs: there was Carey and Killian, the tae kwon do instructors; Sloane and Hurley, a mechanic and a policewoman respectively, who drag raced in their free time; and Magnus and Julia, a newlywed couple for whom Taako worked. All of them chattered nervously as they heard Taako’s broken sobs from upstairs. “Someone should give him a hug,” Carey said worriedly.

“Yeah,” Julia agreed sadly, “poor thing. I didn't know he had a sister.”

“None of us did,” Killian said. “Magnus. Get up there and hug Taako. You're his best friend.”

“I'll take care of Angus,” Julia declared. “Kid’s been seeing his dad in this state for god knows how long; poor baby must be practically traumatized by now.”

The couple marched up the stairs, determined, but hesitated outside Taako’s room. “What if--” Magnus began.

“Shh,” Julia said. “Just go in there and hug him, okay? He needs love right now. If he talks, just listen. If he doesn't, just be there. He needs us. Okay?”

“Yeah. Give Angus a kiss from me, yeah?”

“Course. Get in there, big guy.” She shoved him lightly and kissed his cheek before going into Angus’s room and leaving the big man to confront his best friend.

“Okay, Magnus,” he breathed. “You can do this.”

Slowly, he pushed open the door and peeked his head in. On the floor sat Taako--his hair in tangles, his face streaked with eyeliner and tears, his clothes rumpled, his posture slumped and broken. His shoulders shook and his chest heaved with the hiccuping sobs that tore from his throat. Magnus's nerves evaporated and he approached his friend carefully and quietly.

Kneeling beside him, Magnus put a large hand on Taako’s back and said, “Hey.”

Much to his surprise, Taako let out a wail and flung his arms around Magnus, now crying in earnest. Magnus didn’t hesitate to wrap his strong arms around the frail man, holding his shaking frame close as tears soaked his T-shirt. “Shh, there you go, that’s it,” Magnus crooned, trying to keep the lump in his throat from impeding his speech. “Just--just let it out, Taako, I’m, I’m here. I’ve got you.”

Taako cried and cried, his bony fingers clutching Magnus’s shirt so tight he was afraid it would tear, his wails reaching a crescendo, something of a scream, the grief-stricken sound so raw it threatened to tear apart Magnus’s heart. But they held onto each other as the first of Magnus’s tears ran down his nose and they sat there on the floor and wept.

Eventually, though, Magnus felt Taako’s sobs die down into something quieter, more controlled, and Magnus sniffled and let his own tears dry before he tried speaking again. “Taako, I--”

Taako said something, his voice muffled by Magnus’s clothes, forcing the larger man to abruptly stop speaking and say, “What?”

Sitting back, Taako swiped at his face a few times before repeating. “I’m gonna find that sonofabitch who killed my sister,” he said. His voice was rough and hoarse, broken on the edges, but his eyes were more fierce than Magnus had ever seen. “I’m gonna find ‘em, and I’m gonna kill them.”

Magnus took a moment to process Taako’s words. “Taako, I don’t think--”

“I don’t care,” he said. “I don’t fucking care what you think, whoever that motherfucker is, they took fucking everything from me and I’m going to find ‘em and I’m going to  _ obliterate  _ ‘em.” He stood up, wobbled, and almost fell over.

“Not so fast, Taako,” Magnus said, grabbing onto Taako’s wrist and pulling him back down. “You’re dehydrated and sleep-deprived. I’ll get Merle or someone to get you a drink and then you’re going to take a long nap. Don’t you give me that look, dude, you’re in no shape to go out and kill a man. We’ll do some research into the story for you if you want but you have to rest.”

Taako blinked at Magnus once, twice. Then, “Fine.” He let out a long sigh and sat back against the bed, suddenly looking so tired Magnus was convinced he was going to fall asleep right there. “But don’t think I’m not gonna be tryin’ to astral project to wherever you nerds go off to the entire time I’m sleeping.”

Magnus smiled a bit at that. “Course not,” he said. “I’m gonna have Merle get you some water and then I’ll arrange a game plan with the crew. Rest up, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, Mags,” Taako mumbled, and was climbing into his bed when Magnus left the room.

Magnus descended the staircase quickly and entered the living area where the rest of the group was seated. “How is he?” Carey asked, standing up when she saw Magnus.

“He’s tired,” Magnus replied. “Merle, could you get Taako some water?”

“Is he gonna cooperate?”

“He’s ready to kill a man but yeah, he should.”

Merle nodded and got up to fetch a glass of water. When he was gone, Magnus leaned forward. “Okay, guys, we’ve gotta get a game plan together. Taako wants to track down the murderer and destroy them, but nobody has any idea who killed them.”

That was when the door burst open, a loud BANG accompanying it as it slammed into the wall, followed by a gust of cold wind. Everyone screamed and jumped about two feet in the air, looking towards the door.

There stood a tall, dark fellow, panting, rumpled, and wild-eyed. “H-hello, everyone,” he gasped. “Is this the residence of a man named Taako?”

“Yes,” Davenport answered, being the first to collect himself. He rose to his full diminutive height and added, “What do you want?”

The man looked around the room, inspecting the collected group. “I have reason to believe,” he said carefully, “that I have a lead on the murder of your friend’s sister.”

* * *

 

[ _ Two hours earlier _ ]

Don't think about it.

Don't think about it.

Don't think about it.

_ Shit. _

Kravitz slammed his book shut. “I can’t take this anymore,” he announced to the library, which consisted of Lucretia, two bewildered patrons in the nonfiction section, and books.

“Can’t do what, Krav?” Lucretia asked. “Are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine,” Kravitz said, “it’s this damn murder case in Oklahoma.”

“Murder? You mean the Hallwinters?” Lucretia said, approaching Kravitz’s desk with interest.

“Yes, them. There’s something… odd about it. I just don’t know what.” Kravitz opened the article and read over it again, Lucretia looking over his shoulder as he did.

“It’s just another murder,” Lucretia said. “They’ll catch the killer and then it’ll be done.”

Kravitz shook his head. “No. There’s something weird going on here.” He pointed to the image of the woman attached to the article. “See her? She looks  _ exactly _ like the man who came in here with his son.”

Lucretia squinted at the photo. “That’s Taako,” she said. “He lives nearby. I didn’t know he had a sister.”

“I didn’t either. I--I need to know what’s going on,” Kravitz told Lucretia. “I’m going to do some research.”

“Alright, detective boy,” Lucretia smiled. “I’ll be shelving books.”

Grabbing a few books and opening a couple of tabs on his computer, Kravitz studied the details of the case.  _ Bodies dismembered, half-burned, nearly unidentifiable. Heads missing. Traces of arsenic, cyanide in the remains. Potentially an act of jealousy. _

Jotting these details down in a notebook, Kravitz delved farther into his research. Apparently, Lup and Barry Hallwinter were famous biochemists at a high-security lab facility. They worked on top-secret projects for high-end companies and powers, occasionally for the government. 

Maybe someone, jealous of their position and craving power, killed them off as a way to reach the top. They could have easily tried to play it off as a lab accident but foul play is always easily suspected when poison is involved.

Several articles claimed that both scientists were transgender. Could it have been a hate crime? Somebody angry that two trans people had more power than they had?

Or maybe it was because of their wealth? Sources supplied the massive amounts of riches the pair had accumulated through grants, awards, and salaries. Perhaps the murderer was greedy and wanted to kill the couple in order to get their hands on their bank account.

Kravitz wrote down all three ideas. It was time to draw some conclusions.

* * *

 

“Okay, everyone,” Killian shouted over the uproar. “Calm the fuck down!”

The shouting gradually quieted and the room was silent. Everyone held their breath.

The man, Kravitz, stood in the center of the living room. The group, minus Taako, Julia, and Angus, gathered around him, watching him with suspicion and curiosity. “So,” the man said. “I have done some research and come up with a few solid theories.

“First: the murder could have been done in jealousy. The couple was very intelligent and held a very high standing in a government-owned laboratory. Anyone craving power and position could have committed this crime in order to gain status.

“Second: the murder could have been a hate crime. My studies show that both victims were,” he hesitates, “transgender.” A few people hissed in a breath. Kravitz paused again before continuing. “Someone could have been angry that two people in the minority were in a higher position than them and so, killed them.

“Third: my research shows that the couple was very wealthy. Someone could have committed the murder in order to gain access to their wealth.

“Fourth, and finally,” and here Kravitz hesitated again, looking down at his notepad. “Fourth and finally,” he repeated, “there is the possibility that they are not actually dead.”

The entire room erupted into chaos.

And then it fell completely silent.

All eyes turned toward the staircase.

And there stood Taako, looking like death, gripping the banister with white-knuckled hands, shaking, and staring intensely at Kravitz. “How do you know that?” he asked. His eyes were harder than steel. “Tell me how you know.”

“Well. Um.” Kravitz fumbled for his words, not having expected to actually see and talk to the man, and definitely unprepared for the state Taako was in. “Your… your sister, and her husband. Their bodies… the bodies that were found, they were hardly recognizable. And the autopsy was performed there at the lab, which means that the culprit could have easily reported false information. It’s a very little bit of evidence to go on, and it’s only a theory. You can’t take my word for it, and you really shouldn’t get your hopes up.”

Taako shook his head. Firm, stubborn. “She’s not dead,” he said, his voice contrastingly steady compared to his hands. “I know she’s not dead, I can--” He ran a bony hand through his tangled blonde hair. “I can feel it. I know she’s out there.” Taako took a few deep breaths, hands fluttering anxiously as he looked around the room at his friends.

“We’re going to  _ fuckin’ _ Oklahoma,” Taako announced.

His friends looked at each other, concern in their eyes. But the expression on Taako’s face--one that spoke of darkness and determination--forced their hand. “Alright, who’s in?” Killian said, standing up. 

As a unit, the group raised their hands. Kravitz stood there, awkward.

“Come on, death boy,” Killian said, nudging him. “You know so much about murder, you should come along and help us out.”

Kravitz bit his lip. “I don’t know. I’m a stranger here,” he said.

“Nah, you’re fine,” Carey said with a grin. “We’ll get to know ya real well on our way to Oklahoma.”

“Wait--we’re going now?” Kravitz exclaimed.

“Everyone, go home,” Killian shouted, “pack a couple bags. We’re going on a crime hunt.”

“Wait, what?” Kravitz said again, puzzled.

“I’m gonna grab Angus,” Taako said, turning around, only to run right into the boy, who was being led down the stairs by Julia.

“What’s this I hear about not being dead?” Julia said. “And going to Oklahoma?”

“Oh, yeah,” Taako said, his eyes glinting. “We’ve just found out my sister’s not dead so we’re gonna go find her and destroy whoever did this to me.”

“I said she’s not defin--” Kravitz started, but was cut off by the sudden presence of a large hand on his shoulder.

“You should stop talking,” the big burly man--Magnus?--said with a smile.

Kravitz blanched. “Yeah. Okay.”

“We’re leaving in two hours,” Killian announced.

Kravitz nodded and began following the crowd of people out the door and into the cold winter day, but was stopped by the feeling of someone pulling at his jacket. Turning, he saw the little boy from the library looking at him with red-rimmed eyes behind huge glasses. He smiled at Kravitz nevertheless and said, “Hi, sir, I was hoping you would explain to me how you drew these conclusions about the possibility that my aunt and uncle are still alive?”

“Oh. Well,” Kravitz said. “Sure?”

“Good.” The boy pulled out a notebook and a pen. “Go ahead.”

Kravitz stammered for a second before deciding, what the hell, he’d go for it. “Well,” he said, “in a few articles I read it said the bodies found were unrecognisable. Heads and limbs missing, burned half to ash, dismembered. But the autopsy also found traces of cyanide and arsenic in the bodies.” Kravitz paused to let the boy write everything down. “So what did they die from? It probably wasn’t the burning, that seemed to have been done last. It probably wasn’t the dismembering, that was definitely done after the death. So, it would have been the poison.

“However,” Kravitz said, “how would these people have been poisoned? In the items recovered from the crime scene were found two packed lunches belonging to the victims. So their food could not have been poisoned.

“And the autopsy is unreliable. It was taken at the very lab where they were ‘killed’. The culprit could have easily corrupted the information and presented lies, such as the DNA tests on the bodies. Everything we know could be a lie.”

Angus scribbled furiously in his notebook. “I have to say, sir,” he said without looking up, “that’s some pretty good sleuthing. Where did you learn?”

“I, uh,” Kravitz said. “I read a lot of murder mysteries. And watch CSI. A lot.”

The boy grinned. “Me too,” he said. “I want to be like Sherlock Holmes when I grow up. Everyone laughs when I tell them that, so please don’t laugh at me. I’m only a little boy.”

“I wasn’t going to laugh at you,” Kravitz promised. “I used to want to be a detective, too.”

“Why did you stop?”

“I, um. I discovered music. It changed my life.” He didn’t know why he was telling this to a little kid, but he asked, so.

“Oh, really?” the boy grinned. “What instrument do you play?”

“The piano.”  _ Shut up, Kravitz, shut up! Nobody knows about this! _ “I actually majored in music at college.”

“Then why are you working at a library?” the boy asked.

“There aren’t that many positions open for classical pianists, believe it or not,” Kravitz smiled wryly. “It’s a difficult field if you’re looking for a career--so I went back to school for library sciences and, well, here I am.”

The boy grinned. “I'm sure you'll get your dream job someday, sir.”

Shrugging, Kravitz said, “Even if I don't, I'm perfectly happy with the job I have. Contentment comes easy to me.”

“That’s a very good character trait to possess, sir.” Another beaming smile. The child clicked his pen--open, closed, open, closed, open--a nervous tic that Kravitz recognized.

“Angus--are you nervous?” Kravitz asked.

“No, sir,” the boy said. “I might be a little--worried.” The smile faded from his face and he looked down at his shiny little shoes. “I haven’t seen my dad cry like this. Ever.”

Kravitz nodded. “We’ll--we’ll do our best to solve this mystery. Okay, Angus? Everything will be okay.”

“Yeah.” The boy fidgeted some more. “Well--I should pack a bag. Dad wants to leave for Oklahoma soon. You’re coming with us, right?”

“Well, I’m the one who did all the research on this. I suppose I should.”

A pang of guilt shot through Kravitz’s chest. He’d promised to visit his mother for Candlenights--would he still be able to? “I should--I should probably pack some things as well,” Kravitz said. “I’ll see you later, Angus.”

“See you later, Mr. Kravitz.” The boy waved, and Kravitz waved back, and he stepped off the porch and into the snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway check out my tumblr themindofcc!!


	3. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god this is so late  
> I'm so sorry guys i'm dying over here there's been so much and I've just been so completely stuck with this fic! I hope you've enjoyed the little world-building bits I've been playing with so far, there's more to come yet! Please enjoy this too-short chapter :')

[ _ December 14th, 2017. Somewhere in Oklahoma. _ ]

Lup didn't know how long she and Barry had been in this chilly, damp space. She knew they'd been gagged, blindfolded, handcuffed, and their legs were immobilized somehow. She didn't remember who did this to them.

It smelled like wet cement and mud down there. Her head throbbed. Her stomach gnawed at her spine.

Barry groaned through the gag that matched hers. She felt his arm shift against her side and she tried to make a soothing noise.  _ It'll be okay,  _ she tried to convey without words.  _ It'll be okay. _

* * *

[ _ December 14th, 2017. Neverwinter, Washington. _ ]

As Kravitz walked back to his house from Taako’s residence, his mind whirled. Was this the right thing? Could he be overthinking everything? Could he be leading everyone on a wild goose chase? What if he was wrong? What would  _ Taako _ do if Kravitz was wrong?

Hell, he wasn’t even a detective. Sure, he’d started out his major in forensic sciences and criminology, but of  _ course _ he’d had to change to musical composition. It was the only logical thing in his mind at the time. Now, however? His brain had reverted back to the Sherlock Holmes obsession of his adolescence, and he suddenly thought he could  _ actually solve a murder. _

He laughed out loud at this. “Psh, yeah,” he said. “As if.”

“As if what?” a voice said to his right, his chilly ears picking up on the voice repeating his words back to him.

Kravitz turned his head, and his gaze instantly found a thin man in a threadbare black overcoat sitting on a park bench. He looked to be somewhere in his fifties or sixties, his countenance surprisingly elegant for a man who seemed to be a homeless man on a bench in the middle of a small city. His cheekbones were high, his pointed chin dusted with salt-and-pepper stubble, his black hair streaked with grey. Dark circles lurked under his eyes, which were blacker than his coat and seemed like endless black holes, empty and haunting.

“Did you talk to me?” Kravitz asked him. He moved a step closer.

“Of course.” The man tilted his head. “You look like you’re having a bit of a crisis.”

“I--uh, no?” Kravitz’s hands edged into his pockets, his eyebrows sinking down over his eyes in a frown. “I don’t--think so?”

“Are you sure?” One of the man’s thin, dark grey brows snuck up towards his hairline, his mouth twitching with a smirk. “You did seem to be thinking quite hard there. Do you know it’s easier to put your life in perspective if you just accept that life is meaningless?”

Kravitz took two hasty steps backwards. “I--what? No, life is-- _ what?” _

“Meaningless,” the man said almost smugly, “completely and entirely meaningless. Nothing matters, not in the end. Ashes to ashes, and all.”

“But it--” Kravitz huffed. Why was he getting into an argument with some homeless guy? He should be packing for the trip to Oklahoma. “Life isn’t--you can’t just--life  _ does _ mean something. You’ve got, like, eight decades to exist and, and connect, and hope and dream and all the other things that people are supposed to do. You can’t just--sit around and say that life is meaningless, of course it means something! I--!” Kravitz made a noise of frustration. “I can’t waste time like this. I have to go.” He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and made to walk off, but he didn’t get more than three steps away before he heard the man speak again.

“You’ll find what you’re looking for, but it isn’t what you think it is. Remember that nothing matters. Focus on what you need, hm?”

Kravitz froze for a long moment, and then shook his head and continued, the wind swirling the snow around him and leaving the man alone on the bench once more.

* * *

Lup was  _ alive. _ Taako almost couldn’t believe it. But--no. He had to. He had to believe. Fervently, he said it aloud: “She’s alive. She’s  _ alive. _ ” Like if he didn’t say it out loud, it wouldn’t be true, and her dead mangled body would be stuck in a morgue and then burned up and she would be lost from him forever.

Hastily, he packed his bag, just throwing clothes haphazardly into a suitcase with no order or planning. Shirts, blouses, skirts, pants, jeans, they all got thrown into the suitcase. Once he was sure--or, pretty sure at least--that he had all the necessary clothing, he zipped the case closed and lugged it down the stairs and into the front room. “Let’s go,” Taako shouted to the general household. “We can’t keep everyone waiting!”

“Says the one who spends two hours in the bathroom everyday,” Merle shouted back. “Did you fold your shit when you packed it?”

“No, fuck, I don’t need to! We  _ need _ to go! Now!”

“I  _ need _ to fold my shirts! I don’t need weird crinkles in them!”

“Your face has weird crinkles in it,” Taako yelled, and Merle’s ringing laughter, strange compared to the mood just a few hours earlier, echoed through the house.

* * *

Kravitz walked briskly down the sidewalk, duffel bag in hand, a backpack slung over one shoulder. The wind and snow had died down, leaving the cars and sidewalks dusted with white. His heart pounded against his rib cage. Why was he agreeing to this wild goose chase of an adventure? Why was he leaving Neverwinter just days before Candlenights? Why had he suddenly fallen in with this strange group of friends?

He knew why. It was because that young man, that Taako, had come down the stairs with wild, wet eyes and looked at him with a ferocity that went straight to his core. It was because they had made eye contact and  _ something _ had transferred, some kind of mutual understanding, an unheard communication, and Kravitz was unable to escape. It was because there was hope, and Kravitz had answers, and somehow, for some reason, they needed him.

When Kravitz arrived at Taako’s house he was greeted by chaos. People were rushing everywhere, luggage in hand, and the driveway to Merle’s house was full of vehicles. What caught Kravitz’s eye was the sight of the big man, Magnus, and his girlfriend (?) Julia, loading various pieces of luggage into a pickup truck. Magnus saw him and grinned, waving. “Hi, Kravitz! Want me to take your bag?”

“Uh--sure,” Kravitz said.

Magnus bounded over to him and grabbed the bag, tossing it into the back of the truck. “We don’t have enough room for you in the truck, but maybe you can ride with Taako and Angus,” Magnus gushed. “We’re so happy you’re coming with us!”

“Well, I--” Kravitz started, but was interrupted when a very familiar voice from behind him called, “Kravitz? Is that you?”

“Lucretia!” Magnus shouted, waving both arms eagerly and rushing past Kravitz to scoop the woman up in a hug. “Wow, I didn’t think you’d actually come! I thought you were gonna take care of the library!”

“Magnus,” Lucretia laughed as the big man let her go. “No, I let my friend Brad Bradson handle the library. He knows what he’s doing.” Her eyes returned to Kravitz and she pointed at him almost accusingly. “This is because of you,” she said. “All that research you were doing about the case today.”

“Well, I was--curious,  _ especially _ because I knew it was connected to Taako,” Kravitz spluttered. “I knew something weird was going on. And see--I’m helping! Things are… not as bad as they could be. Potentially.”

Lucretia opened her mouth to reply but before she even got a single syllable out, Taako emerged from the house, followed by Angus, and all chaos ceased. He stood there, a suitcase in his hand, and looked around at everyone. His eyes were still bloodshot and red-rimmed, but his gaze was fierce. Kravitz thought he’d never been so attracted to a single person in his entire life. “Well?” he said in his high voice. “Let’s go, huh? Is everyone here?”

“I, uh, I think so,” Magnus said, his voice surprisingly small. “Want me to, uh, take your bag, Taako?”

“I’ve got it.” Taako descended the stairs from the porch, his chin high. The flurry of activity resumed, but it was muted, everyone retaining a sort of respectful quiet for their friend. Taako approached the truck and, therefore, Kravitz, and raised an eyebrow. “You came.”

“I… of course,” Kravitz said. “Everyone else is going.”

“Hey Taako!” Magnus yelled, even though he was only about fifteen feet away. “Hey, Taako, Kravitz should ride with you and Ango!”

Taako pursed his lips. “I mean,” he said, looking at Kravitz, “only if he wants to.”

“I… sure. Yes. I’ll--I’ll carpool with you.” A weak smile crossed his face. He wasn’t sure he was going to survive several hours with a very attractive, very upset person beside him, but he was sure as hell going to try.

Taako’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded. “Okay. That’s settled.” He turned away from Kravitz and tossed his suitcase into the truck, then took Angus’s from his hands and put it into the truck as well.

“Um--dad?” Angus said, his voice very small. His hands twisted the hem of his shirt.

Turning back towards him, Taako knelt down in front of the child, his expression softening instantly. “What’s it, pumpkin?” he said quietly.

Angus leaned in and whispered something, and Kravitz watched Taako’s face go through a  _ lot _ of emotions before settling back on neutral. “It’s…” Taako glanced around at all of his friends. “It’s complicated, baby, huh? Dad’ll tell you tonight when we’re all alone.” He ruffled the boy’s hair and pulled him in for a hug. “Mmm. Love you. Now c’mon, we’ve gotta get this show on the road before these idiots forget where we’re going.”

Angus giggled and hugged his father tightly before stepping back to let Taako stand. The spindly man brandished his car keys like a weapon. “Okay, fuckers, let’s go. Time’s a wastin’.”

“Hey! Wait for us!” a voice called from the porch, and a short old man with a huge grey beard and crooked glasses staggered (waddled?) down the stairs, lugging a huge suitcase. Behind him, a man Kravitz quickly recognized as Davenport from the coffee shop closed and locked the door.

“Nope, not waiting, you can follow us when you’re good and ready, dipshits,” Taako shouted shrilly, his back to them. He took Angus by the hand and helped him into his car, a 2002 silver Chevy Malibu with a very dented bumper. “C’mon, baby,” he muttered to the boy.

The two old men climbed into a beige car that looked like it had Seen Some Shit and the engine buzzed to life with a sound like an old furnace. Kravitz grimaced. How that thing was going to make it to Oklahoma was beyond him.

As everyone else climbed into their vehicles and started the engines, Kravitz continued to hover. He was having a few second thoughts at about this moment. He knew he was supposed to carpool with Taako but honestly--the man was frightening right now. Angry, grieving, and vengeful. Kravitz didn't want to be in the car with that the whole way. However, Taako eventually leaned out the window and said, “You comin’, handsome, or are we leaving without you?”

“Uh--um, yeah, I'm coming. Sorry. I'm coming.” Kravitz yanked open the passenger side door and slid into the seat beside Taako. “Hi. Sorry.” He looked straight ahead, out the windshield.

Behind them, a horn honked. “They’re ready,” Angus chirped from the back seat.

“Yes, thank you, baby,” Taako said absently, and hit the gas. And with a roar of engines and a squeal of tires, they were off.

Things were quiet for a while before, a few minutes down the road, Taako rolled down the windows and smacked a button on the dashboard, and the speakers burst into sound, projecting the voice of some pop star Kravitz didn’t know through the windows and out onto the road. The cold air whipped through the windows, chilling the three of them, but Taako didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. He drove along, eyes focused on the road ahead, going maybe five over the speed limit despite the snow-coated roads.

The chorus repeated for a third time and Taako began to sing along, glancing at Kravitz as he did so. Kravitz pretended he wasn’t watching Taako intently. But he  _ was _ a fascinating person, wasn’t he? The way his eyes held more depth than Taako’s personality led people to believe. The way he carried himself, his shoulders high but looking like he was incredibly weighed down at the same time. The way he sang along, the wind forcing cold-induced tears from his eyes as he got into the music, a grin on his lips, his cheeks flushed. The way his hands gripped the steering wheel, manicured fingers white-knuckled.

A caravan of mismatched, slightly-used vehicles careened down the highway through snowy December Washington, headed for mystery and the vastly unknown.


	4. The First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Motel shenanigans ensue. There is a lot of pining. Taako discovers the prime suspects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY IT'S BEEN A WHILE LET ME EXPLAIN.  
> I started college! I'm an art student and let me tell you that is an ORDEAL. I had to settle in.  
> Unfortunately it was hard for me to settle in when my mom suddenly died from stage 4 double negative breast cancer. So I was a little emotionally out of commission for a while.  
> But I'm back again and better than ever! Please enjoy this chapter!

[ _ December 14th, 2017. _ ]

It was late at night. The digital clock on the dashboard read 12:25 in garishly green numbers. The roads were slick, and small patches of ice glistened in the stark street lamps. Snow still fluttered from the clouds but at that point it was just flurries, the individual flakes glittering in the headlights like so many sequins dripping from heaven. In the backseat of the car, Angus slept, his head lolling slightly each time they hit a pothole in the highway. Taako’s eyes were fixed on the road, having turned off the radio and rolled up the windows hours ago. His grip on the steering wheel had lessened, but he still seemed impossibly tense.

It was silent, there, except for the whirring of tires on the road and the deep, steady breathing of the child in the back, but the feeling in the car was of anything but peace. It was almost oppressive, and Kravitz’s breathing felt strained as he tried to match rhythm with Angus.

Nobody spoke.

And then, Taako opened his mouth with a sharp intake of breath, and he said, “Go on, ask me. I know you want to.” His voice was impossibly quiet.

Kravitz sighed. “Taako, why--why are you doing this? What I said is hardly a fact. It’s barely even a theory, you could get there and find that… that the worst  _ has _ happened, and the whole journey will be purposeless, and you'll just have to… to grieve all over again.”

There was a pause. “Because.” Taako’s voice trembled. “I can't believe she's gone.”

There was a long, long moment of silence. Then, Taako’s breathing hitched and a tear trickled down his face and dripped off his chin. And that was the only indication Kravitz had that Taako was crying. “Taako--” Kravitz began.

“Don't,” Taako hissed. He didn't take his eyes off the road. “Don’t say a fucking word.”

Kravitz hesitated. Then, softly, he said, “I’m sorry.”

It was quiet again. The windshield wipers squeaked on the glass, the tires whirred, Angus breathed. Another tear dripped from Taako’s chin. Kravitz’s fingers tapped on his thigh. “Do you…” Kravitz paused, nervous to say anything. “Do you need, like, a tissue? Or something?”

Taako sniffed angrily. “Yeah, sure, I'll take a fucking tissue,” he said. Kravitz took one from his backpack at his feet and handed it silently to Taako, who swiped it from his fingers and used it to forcibly scrub the tears from his face.

A very long silence followed. The squeaking of the windshield wipers was growing a little bit irritating. Kravitz didn’t comment on it.

Eventually, to break the tense silence, he asked, “Are we… are we going to stop somewhere to sleep?”

A long, long pause. “Why?”

“Because you should sleep, Taako, and I think Angus would appreciate sleeping in a bed for a few hours as well.”

The mention of the child made Taako’s expression soften. “Yeah, I guess that’s not a bad idea. Could you grab my phone and text the group chat? It’s unlocked. Just let ‘em know that I’m gonna try to find a motel.”

“I--yeah.” Kravitz took the phone and opened the messaging app, easily finding the thread and sending a quick message. “There, I, it’s done.” He put the phone back where he’d found it (a cupholder, which was full of loose pennies) and fell quiet once more.

Silence reigned again for a while.

A sigh whooshed out of Taako, and instantly the atmosphere seemed to lose a good portion of its tension. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Didn’t mean to, uh. Snap at you.”

“It’s okay,” Kravitz said graciously, a small smile on his face. “You have every reason to be angry.”

A small huff of something like laughter ghosted out of Taako’s mouth, and he used the tissue to wipe at his eyes again, smudging his eyeliner even more than it already was. “Yeah. I’m--I just--I don’t want you to think I’m like this all the time. Kinda ruins the whole ‘apathetic and aloof’ brand I try to uphold, y’know?”

Kravitz grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell.”

And then Taako surprised Kravitz, and he grinned back. It dimpled his cheeks and his chin and scrunched up his nose and stretched his freckles and crinkled his eyes and it was the most beautiful smile Kravitz had ever seen, even with the smudged eyeliner and the red-rimmed eyes and the dark bags sitting beneath, and Kravitz realized, a little belatedly, that he had a  _ little bit  _ of a crush.

* * *

The motel they found was shady (at best), but it was better than nothing, and once payments were made and rooming arrangements were decided upon, everyone retreated to their respective rooms. Originally, Kravitz was concerned that he was going to end up rooming with someone he didn’t know, but Taako grabbed Kravitz’s arm and said, “And  _ you’re _ rooming with me’n Ango,” so that was decided upon.

And he had nothing to worry about.

Except, of course, for the alarming way his cheeks, ears, and neck heated up to impossible levels when Taako grabbed him and dragged him along. That, he quickly recognized, was going to be a long-term issue.

Angus trailed behind Taako as they went to find their room, his eyes half-closed, pulling his small suitcase along behind him. He looked exhausted. As soon as Taako had unlocked and opened their door, Angus was inside, his shoes off, his glasses on the bedside table, and his face buried in the pillow. Taako didn’t even have a chance to check for bedbugs; the kid was out like a light.

He checked the other bed and it was fine, so it didn't matter anyway.

Kravitz stood awkwardly in the doorway as Taako set about unpacking the toiletries he needed and retrieving his pajamas from the suitcase. There were two beds, and Angus seemed determined to keep his all to himself.

There was one bed.

“Um, I'll--you can have the bed,” he offered. “I just need a pillow and a blanket and I'll be fine.”

“Are you kidding?” Taako snorted. “Just sleep on the fucking bed. No chivalry required.”

“I don't want to impose,” he argued weakly.

“You won't be. Just sleep on the bed like a normal person. I'll stay on my side and you stay on yours and nobody will have any problems.”

Kravitz thought that sounded reasonable enough. So he changed into his pajamas and climbed onto the bed, staying as close to the edge as possible. After a few minutes he felt Taako get into bed on the other side, and then Taako turned out the light and the room went pitch-dark.

It didn't take long for Kravitz to fall asleep.

* * *

Taako had an Issue, he realized very quickly as he laid in bed, waiting for sleep to come. Kravitz was very cute. Criminally so. And he was sweet? And he didn’t act like most guys did around Taako, with their creepy stares and creepier smiles. And he didn’t even treat him like glass!

It was unfair.

There was a crack in the blinds, and silver moonlight shone through. Kravitz breathed steadily on one side of Taako, and Angus was soundly asleep on the other side. Looked like Taako was the only one with any trouble sleeping.

Kravitz was… nice. He was very nice. He was hot, and he was nice to Taako.

Taako didn’t want to think about the last time he met a guy who was hot and also nice to Taako. He didn’t turn out to be so nice in the end.

Yikes.

To distract himself from thoughts about the last guy he got a crush on, he pulled out his phone and opened the article he had saved. His own face, slightly modified and framed by neatly-dyed hair, smiled at him from the screen. She looked so happy. He wished he’d gotten to see her grow up.

But this was no time for introspection. He closed the article quickly and searched the name of the lab Lup and her husband were working for. A lot more stories of the event popped up.  _ Excellent. _ There were plenty of suspects--most of the lab, in fact, except those who had obvious alibis. But none of the theories or suspicions quite lined up. There was a piece missing, something obvious.

“Why destroy the bodies?” Taako mumbled. “They were already dead. Why burn ‘em up and then leave them lying around?”

Kravitz’s theories from earlier came into Taako’s mind once more, as if he wasn’t constantly thinking about them. The autopsy was performed at the lab, which was unconventional already. Whose idea was that?

He opened an article. Skimmed it. Closed it. Opened another. Skimmed it. Closed it.

Opened it.

He scrolled back almost to the end, and there it was--a photo. Two people, eerily identical, standing next to each other, arms crossed in mirrored poses of confidence.

_ Doctors Edward and Lydia Avringe, two medical biologists at the laboratory, performed the autopsy on the remains of Doctors Lup and Barry Hallwinter. “A freak accident,” Lydia is quoted to have said, distressed. “They were excellent scientists here.” _

_ “It’s truly a terrible thing to have happened,” Edward added in a later interview. “I can only imagine how much they could have contributed to our institution.” _

“Edward and Lydia,” Taako whispered. “Edward and Lydia.”

_ “Freak accident”? _

“This doesn’t line up,” Taako said, almost too loud, then his head whipped over to where Kravitz laid. Still asleep. Angus, too.

Taako saved the article and set an alarm, then he put his phone down, turned onto his side, and closed his eyes. He let his breathing line up with Kravitz’s, deep and even, just a few feet away.

He fell asleep with the image of his sister’s smiling face in his mind.

* * *

Barry was crying. He’d been crying for quite some time, soft little sobs muffled behind his gag. Lup tried to give him as much comfort as she could, but she couldn’t say anything, she couldn’t move. It was  _ torture _ \--almost more tortuous than the probably-several-days they’d gone without water or food. Almost more tortuous than the knowledge that their kidnapper was going to murder them as soon as the case was deemed unsolvable.

At least, Lup was mostly sure there was only one kidnapper, although their voice changed subtly from time to time. It was quite confusing, but as far as she knew she was hallucinating.

_ Don’t worry, _ she wanted to tell Barry, even though she herself was filled with fear.  _ Don’t worry. We’ll be found. _

* * *

When Kravitz woke up, it was to the sound of an alarm, so he didn’t register at first that something was different. And then he registered.

Something warm and rather heavy was attached to him. He didn't know what it was right away, still half-asleep, still trying to process his surroundings.

And then he smelled honey and mango and strawberry and he knew. “...Taako?” he mumbled.

Taako began to shift, still mostly asleep, rolling over and away from Kravitz to turn off the alarm on his phone. “Mmmngh,” he said, clearly having no clue that he was just  _ cuddled up to Kravitz. _ “Why’d I set it so early?”

“What time is it?” Kravitz asked, sitting up. The smell of Taako’s hair still lingered in his senses.

“Fuck o’clock,” Taako said. He stood and approached Angus, who still slept soundly despite the alarm. “C’mon, Ango, up and at ‘em,” he murmured in the sing-song tone parents always adopt for their children. “You can sleep more in the car but you’ve gotta get up so we can keep moving.”

Angus rolled over so he was facing away from Taako and yanked a pillow over his head. Kravitz could faintly hear a muffled “No” from underneath the fabric.

“Don’t be like that,” Taako said, then seemed to freeze for a moment. His hand hovered over where Angus lay, and he didn’t move for a good few seconds. Then he shook his head and said in a much softer voice, “Sorry, motek, but you’ve gotta get up. You can sleep again soon. Promise.”

Angus rolled back over and blinked up at Taako, his eyes bleary. “It’s still dark,” he complained.

“That’s what happens in winter,” Taako said. “It’s awful, I know, but that’s just what happens. God abandons us for a good portion of the year. It’s normal.”

Angus giggled, his voice still thick with sleep but no longer unhappy. “Do we have to wake up the others still?”

“I had them set alarms but it would be smart to make sure they're all awake,” Taako nodded.

“Can I help?” Angus asked, and Kravitz noticed a glint of mischief in his eyes.

“I don't see why not,” Taako replied. “Put on a coat before you go out there though. I'm gonna get dressed before I wake up the dads. Everyone's on this floor. 104, 105, 107, I do believe. Go wild, kiddo.”

“Cool! I'll be right back!” Angus slid out of bed and tugged on his shoes, then grabbed his glasses and ran from the room. 

“Hey, hey!” Taako yelled after him. “Coat!  _ Coat,  _ fuck!”

The pattering of his feet was heard running down the open-air hallway a little, then it paused, and then it came back. “It's cold out there,” Angus said, peeking around the door.

Taako facepalmed and handed Angus his coat. “You’re gonna freeze one of these days,” he said, shaking his head.

“No I won't, si--dad! It's not nearly cold enough to freeze a boy like myself!” Even as he said this, he shrugged on his coat, and then he was gone again.

Taako let the door close, turned to.Kravitz with a look of fond exasperation on his face, and said, “Kids.”

“Yeah,” Kravitz agreed, despite having no experience in that particular area.

“I'm gonna get dressed,” Taako announced, and began rummaging through his suitcase. “You mind if I just change in here?” he asked, voice muffled slightly.

“I, uh,” Kravitz said.

“Cool.” Taako stood upright and pulled his pajama shirt over his head, his back to Kravitz.

And what a back it was--lithe and tan and dappled with freckles. Kravitz averted his eyes. “I--sorry,” he mumbled. “I'm gonna--go use the bathroom. Yeah.”

Taako giggled out a laugh. “Can't handle all of this, huh?”

“I'm--uh, no, I just have to--” Kravitz’s face was hot as he climbed out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom, eyes firmly fixed anywhere but where Taako stood.

Taako was still laughing as he shut the door behind him, but as he stood there and wrestled to get himself under control Taako knocked gently on the door. “Hey, uh,” he said, “did I--I was teasing, yeah?”

“Ye--uh, yeah. I know.” Kravitz took a deep breath. This was no time for stupid crushes. “It’s okay.”

“Oh. Good.” Taako sounded… relieved?

“I’m gonna--just finish up in here. And then I’ll get dressed and… yeah.” Kravitz bit his lip. “It’s all good.”

“Great.” Taako stepped away from the door, presumably to finish dressing himself, and Kravitz decided he’d take advantage of the situation and took care of his bathroom routine while he waited for Taako to make himself decent.

He stepped out of the bathroom ten minutes later, fresh from the shower, his locs tied up on his head to reveal a dashing undercut, a towel wrapped around his waist. “The bathroom’s all yours if you need to take care of anything,” he said.

Taako dropped the hairbrush he was holding. His face was a little pink. “Yuh--uh. Yeah. Thanks.” His voice cracked. “I’m gonna--wash my face. And then I’m gonna--yeah. Uh--cool.” Taako’s eyes did not leave Kravitz’s body until he had disappeared into the bathroom.

Kravitz wasn’t sure whether to feel flattered or uncomfortable. Instead of thinking about it, he decided to get dressed. Grey button-up shirt, black cardigan, black jeans, red Converse. He kept his locs tied up away from his face and carefully put silver gauges into his ears.

Taako didn’t emerge from the bathroom for several minutes. When he did, his hair was done up in a messy bun, his face was washed and clear of makeup, and he seemed ready to leave. “Alright,” he said, tugging on a pair of boots, “I’m gonna wake up the dads and collect my boy, and then we’re gonna go.”

“Sounds good,” Kravitz agreed, dumping his toiletries into his suitcase. “I’ll put our luggage in the car if you’ll unlock it for me.”

Taako nodded, pulling on a jacket over his green sweater, and then a huge scarf. It somehow looks good. “Thanks, m’man. I’ll be right back.”

Taako left the motel room. Kravitz could hear him knocking on a door about three rooms down the hall, and then indistinct shouting muffled by said door. “Hurry up!” Taako said, and then there was a pause, and then Kravitz could hear Angus chattering, the excited patter of his footsteps audible from down the hall. He smiled and hefted the luggage, carrying it from the room and to the car.

Magnus and Julia were already out there, helping to load luggage into their truck. “Morning, Kravitz,” Magnus grinned, offering a large hand to take the suitcases from him. Kravitz gladly gave them up.

“Good morning, Magnus. Julia.” He inclined his head, and Magnus laughed.

“How’d you sleep, buddy?” Magnus asked, tossing the bags into the bed of his truck.

“Alright. I was exhausted from all that sitting yesterday,” Kravitz joked. “So it didn’t take long to fall asleep.”

“Did you get the famous Taako Cling?” Julia said. Her smile was pretty.

“The--what?”

“He did,” Magnus said. “Of course he did.”

“Taako clings to  _ everyone, _ ” Julia clarified. “He’s a very physical sleeper.”

“I see,” Kravitz said. “I--”

“What’s  _ kickin’, _ folks?” Taako’s voice called from a short distance away. “Getting everything all squirreled away?”

“Sure are, Taaks!” Magnus waved Taako over, Angus trailing behind his father. “Is everyone else coming too?”

“Should be! I woke em up,” Angus grinned proudly. “Except Grandpa and Pop-Pop,” he added. “Dad had to take care of them.”

“I always do.” Taako grinned. “Everyone’s almost ready to go, though.”

“Great.” Magnus reached down and ruffled Angus’s hair, and the kid giggled. “How’re you even getting out of school, bud?” he asked.

“Dad called me out sick. I’m not missing that much, with the holidays coming up. We’re not doing anything important in class.” Angus beamed. “There’s only ten days til Candlenights, guys!”

“That’s right, kiddo,” Taako said, placing one well-manicured hand on Angus’s shoulder. “Get ready for a whole  _ week _ of presents.”

“And candles! ‘Cause Candlenights!”

“And candles.” Taako glanced up at Kravitz, and he must have seen the look of panic and dread on Kravitz’s face because he said, “Everything okay there, Krav?”

“I, uh--yeah. Just--I’m supposed to visit my mom over Candlenights. And--if we’re still--doing this, when Candlenights comes around…”

“Shit, dude,” Taako said, shaking his head. “You can take off at any time. You don’t have to hang around with us.”

“Well, I.” Kravitz laughed, a little disbelieving. “Thanks. But--I’m planning on sticking around until I absolutely have to leave.”

“Well, we’re certainly not about to complain,” Magnus said happily. “Oh, look, there’s everyone else. Hey, guys! Ready to go?”

“Hell yeah!” Killian shouted across the parking lot, her much smaller girlfriend perched happily on her shoulders. Merle, Davenport, and Lucretia gave pretty much the same response, whoops and hollers at six in the morning.

Snow was piled around the edges of the parking lot, and the heavy clouds overhead in the still mostly-dark sky promised more precipitation to come. Salt crunched under people’s feet as luggage was tossed into trunks and trucks and the back seats of cars, and the sounds of excited but muted conversations became more muted as doors were slammed shut and engines were started.

Taako turned on a Candlenights radio station as the car began to heat up. “Alright,” he said as Kravitz shivered beside him. “Ready to get this Sizzlemobile on the road?”

“Sizzlemobile?” Kravitz asked as Angus cheered his excitement.

“It’s a long story.” Taako threw the vehicle into reverse and backed out of the parking space, then put the car in drive and made a swift exit from the lot of the motel. A caravan of mismatched vehicles followed close behind, and they were back on the highway again.

“Here I come, Lulu,” Taako muttered to a space far away from the windshield of his dinged-up car.

_ Here we come, _ Kravitz thought.

There was silence except for the sounds of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Candlenights Is You”, and then Angus spoke.

“Can we get McDonald’s?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to find me on tumblr @themindofcc!

**Author's Note:**

> Hoooo boy this is gonna be longer than I thought  
> Come yell at me at themindofcc.tumblr.com  
> Don't forget to drop a kudos/comment below if you enjoyed this fic, and check out my other ones!


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